Marine Bacteria associated with horseshoe crabs, Tachypleus gigas and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda

Abstract

Bacteria associated with marine organisms have received major attention worldwide due to their potential in pharmaceutical industries. A total of 32 bacterial strains were isolated and identifi ed, 22 from Tachypleus gigas and 10 from Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda from Balok Beach, Malaysia. Overall, Gramnegative bacteria showed dominancy on both species. A combination of biochemical tests, macro morphology, and micro morphology was used to roughly determine genus of bacterial isolates; where results from 16S rDNA sequencing were taken as the end results due to its high reliability. Results from the molecular approach showed only Pseudoalteromonas sp. (38.46 %), Vibrio sp. (46.15 %), and Photobacterium sp. (15.38 %) might exhibit mutualism with horseshoe crabs, T. gigas and C. rotundicauda. Study on the diversity of bacteria associated with horseshoe crabs can enhance the understanding of these animals and the potential sustainability of producing useful compounds for defense mechanisms.